Pulmonary embolism overview
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Pulmonary Embolism Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Pulmonary Embolism Assessment of Probability of Subsequent VTE and Risk Scores |
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Treatment |
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Follow-Up |
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Special Scenario |
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Trials |
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Pulmonary embolism overview On the Web |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Pulmonary embolism overview |
Editor(s)-In-Chief: The APEX Trial Investigators, C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]
Overview
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is an acute obstruction of the pulmonary artery (or one of its branches).
The obstruction in the pulmonary artery that causes a PE can be due to thrombus, air, tumor, or fat. Most often, this is due to a venous thrombus (blood clot from a vein), which has been dislodged from its site of formation in the lower extremities, and has embolized to the arterial blood supply of one of the lungs. This process is termed thromboembolism. In other rare forms of pulmonary embolism, material other than a blood clot may be responsible; this may include
- Fat
- Bone (usually in association with significant trauma)
- Air (often when diving)
- Clumped tumor cells
- Amniotic fluid (affecting mothers during childbirth).
PE is a potentially lethal condition. The patient can present with a range of signs and symptoms, including difficulty breathing, pain in the chest during breathing, and in more severe cases collapse, circulatory instability and sudden death.
PE treatment requires rapid and accurate risk stratification before the development of hemodynamic decompensation and cardiogenic shock. Treatment consists of an anticoagulant medication, such as heparin and warfarin, and in severe cases thrombolysis or surgery.
Median hospital stay was of 3 days and the mean total hospitalization cost was found to be $8,764 in a retrospective study. [3]